# what's best for online dating and chatting? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647 "2004-03-22T01:44:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/1 "2004-03-22T01:44:43Z")
I’m looking for some online dating/personals sites. Free sites, I should add, not sites that you have to pay to use fully. The only one I know of is [Web Date](http://www.webdate.com), but there must be more out there. Also, I just downloaded the newest Yahoo! Messenger and it’s pretty ridiculous as the chat program runs through your browser. I like the old program better. And you have to pay to chat on MSN Messenger. So can anyone recommend some online dating sites and some chat sites? ---
**Author:** ![so\_da\_ne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@so\_da\_ne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/so_da_ne)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/2 "2004-03-22T02:24:01Z")
MSN messenger is free. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/3 "2004-03-22T02:47:20Z")
If you want to include messenger programs, ICQ worked pretty well for me. Too well once, but thats a long story… However I heard that it’s mostly a non-US thing (?). Btw. do you keep your name while you’re on your search? ---
**Author:** ![Anal\_Scurvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@Anal\_Scurvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anal_Scurvy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/4 "2004-03-22T02:59:41Z")
Maybe I’m using MSN Messenger wrong. I always end up with my browser at [http://chat.msn.com/default.msnw](http://chat.msn.com/default.msnw) where you have to pay. ICQ… I forgot about that program. I think I confused it with Yahoo Messenger. Oh, and I use other names elsewhere. I’m kind of like a sexy Dale Gribble. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/5 "2004-03-22T03:51:08Z")
There’s a non-browser based Yahoo chat interface. If you open Yahoo Messenger and select Tools - Yahoo Chat, it will open from there. Much better than the icky web interface, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/6 "2004-03-22T12:29:05Z")
Matchdoctor ---
**Author:** ![dublos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f08c70/32.png) [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/7 "2004-03-22T19:32:33Z")
For dating sites, which will be best for you really depends on what you are looking for in a dating site. Are you just dating around? Do your preferences run toward sweet and wholesome or avantgarde? Are you looking for your soul mate or are you looking for a regular booty call? Chat… I use Trillian… paid pro version. It can chat on ICQ, MSN, AOL and Yahoo networld and has a somewhat lame but functional IRC client built in. Just do a google search of Trillian and you should find the site to download from. ---
**Author:** ![OneYogini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9e5f3/32.png) [@OneYogini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneYogini)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-best-for-online-dating-and-chatting/235647/8 "2004-03-22T20:04:58Z")
**AS** , what happened to your girl? Last thing I remember was your thread asking for ideas for a screenname for her…e.g., Anal’s Curvy (my personal favorite)! Well, I don’t really need to know your business…but sorry things didn’t work out. Although…with a name like Anal Scurvy…lol! 😉 JK! Much love!! Good luck with everyone’s suggestions. Didn’t I hear someone wanting to start a “edoper” dating thread? hmmm…doper hook-ups. woo hoo! 🙂 Yogini